New Testament

Rev. Sarah Halverson thinks if Jesus Christ were alive today, he would be getting arrested in protests like the one held last month in Los Angeles for hotel workers' rights. Halverson, the new senior pastor at Fairview Community Church in Costa Mesa, attended the Sept. 28 protest in support of the unionization of employees at 13 Los Angeles International Airport area hotels. The Costa Mesa High School graduate believes in not only preaching about justice from the pulpit, but also acting on what she believes is unjust.

Christmas is about the babe in the manger. Let's face it. Most of us are comfortable with Jesus as the helpless infant. He's innocent, vulnerable, humble and a threat to no one. It may also be convenient for us to treat him as nothing more than a fairy tale. But his time spent in the manger was a fleeting moment in first-century history. Jesus may yet be lying in straw on moldering canvases executed in oils by Renaissance artists, but that was a one-time deal. The colossus of the cosmos is no longer contained in a nativity setting.

Question: I have the terrible suspicion that I'm a hypocrite. I'm an animal lover, but I eat meat. I don't eat the meat of young animals, like veal and lamb, but I do eat meat, fish and fowl, along with eggs. Is there anything in the Bible referring to the practice of eating meat, or to Christ's practice? Did he eat meat? I'm aware that I'm seeking absolution for eating meat, but I do face a conflict. Although I would never hunt or fish, I eat animals that other people kill.

People often ask me how I can accomplish so much in the same time that everyone has. When I was serving as an LDS Bishop of Santa Ana in the 1970s, we had a unique congregation and taught Sunday school in seven languages! It was an extremely busy time, with the building of a new financial services organization in Newport Beach and helping to raise a large family. Speaking assignments took me all over the world, and there were major demands of several civic responsibilities. I knew that I had the ability to use my time very efficiently.

Aaron Feduk stood before a crowd of more than 4,000 on Easter Sunday and spoke about his past struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, failed romantic relationships and materialism. But, despite his strife, all was not lost, said the 26-year-old Orange resident. Believing nothing else could fix his troubles — not the right car, not the right girl — Feduk looked for help from above. After more than a year on the fringes of the Rock Harbor Church congregation in Costa Mesa, where he had been attending with a friend, Feduk came to the realization that nothing he could do would grant him "redemption."

Q: I grew up with five siblings, but after Dad died, our weak relationships went from bad to worse. To this day, two of my siblings and I get along fine. We've admitted to the pain we caused each other and asked for forgiveness. My relationships with the other three are not fine. I've tried asking them what I did to cause them pain, and though their answers are vague, I figure if they're hurting, I need to ask for forgiveness. Each time, they say they want nothing more to do with me. I feel I am supposed to ask for forgiveness seven times 70, but their cruel lies about me make me keep my distance from them.

With the arrival of summer, many will take the opportunity to start reading new books, ranging from lighter fare to serious tomes. Excluding the fundamental text of your faith (the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, etc.), what book has influenced you the most? And (if it isn't the same title), what is your favorite book to read regarding your faith? It is not only the content of the book, but when it is read that is significant. Around the time of my Bar Mitzvah, as I was coming of age Jewishly, I read "Exodus," by Leon Uris.

God only knows. And He's not telling. I have two interesting ecclesiastical developments this week for your consideration. The first is the appearance of a mysterious, Christlike figure in a coal mining area of Pennsylvania. "What's Your Name?" No, not you. Him. That's his name. When people approach him, he politely asks them to call him "What's Your Name?" And, Lord, do they approach him. Groups ranging from a handful to 2,000 people in and around Hazelton and Shenandoah have gathered to hear him speak.

Q: I grew up with five siblings, but after Dad died, our weak relationships went from bad to worse. To this day, two of my siblings and I get along fine. We've admitted to the pain we caused each other and asked for forgiveness. My relationships with the other three are not fine. I've tried asking them what I did to cause them pain, and though their answers are vague, I figure if they're hurting, I need to ask for forgiveness. Each time, they say they want nothing more to do with me. I feel I am supposed to ask for forgiveness seven times 70, but their cruel lies about me make me keep my distance from them.

Christmas is about the babe in the manger. Let's face it. Most of us are comfortable with Jesus as the helpless infant. He's innocent, vulnerable, humble and a threat to no one. It may also be convenient for us to treat him as nothing more than a fairy tale. But his time spent in the manger was a fleeting moment in first-century history. Jesus may yet be lying in straw on moldering canvases executed in oils by Renaissance artists, but that was a one-time deal. The colossus of the cosmos is no longer contained in a nativity setting.

Question: I have the terrible suspicion that I'm a hypocrite. I'm an animal lover, but I eat meat. I don't eat the meat of young animals, like veal and lamb, but I do eat meat, fish and fowl, along with eggs. Is there anything in the Bible referring to the practice of eating meat, or to Christ's practice? Did he eat meat? I'm aware that I'm seeking absolution for eating meat, but I do face a conflict. Although I would never hunt or fish, I eat animals that other people kill.

People often ask me how I can accomplish so much in the same time that everyone has. When I was serving as an LDS Bishop of Santa Ana in the 1970s, we had a unique congregation and taught Sunday school in seven languages! It was an extremely busy time, with the building of a new financial services organization in Newport Beach and helping to raise a large family. Speaking assignments took me all over the world, and there were major demands of several civic responsibilities. I knew that I had the ability to use my time very efficiently.

Aaron Feduk stood before a crowd of more than 4,000 on Easter Sunday and spoke about his past struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, failed romantic relationships and materialism. But, despite his strife, all was not lost, said the 26-year-old Orange resident. Believing nothing else could fix his troubles — not the right car, not the right girl — Feduk looked for help from above. After more than a year on the fringes of the Rock Harbor Church congregation in Costa Mesa, where he had been attending with a friend, Feduk came to the realization that nothing he could do would grant him "redemption."

Recent statistics show that more women than men attend church services, prompting many religious leaders to promote Jesus as a tougher, more masculine figure. The numbers indicate that more than 60% of adults at typical worship services are women. That amounts to 13 million more women than men at church on Sunday, according to David Murrow, author of "Why Men Hate Going to Church." The Barns Group, a Christian polling firm, concluded that women are also more likely to go to Sunday school, read the Bible and regularly pray.

Rev. Sarah Halverson thinks if Jesus Christ were alive today, he would be getting arrested in protests like the one held last month in Los Angeles for hotel workers' rights. Halverson, the new senior pastor at Fairview Community Church in Costa Mesa, attended the Sept. 28 protest in support of the unionization of employees at 13 Los Angeles International Airport area hotels. The Costa Mesa High School graduate believes in not only preaching about justice from the pulpit, but also acting on what she believes is unjust.

With the arrival of summer, many will take the opportunity to start reading new books, ranging from lighter fare to serious tomes. Excluding the fundamental text of your faith (the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, etc.), what book has influenced you the most? And (if it isn't the same title), what is your favorite book to read regarding your faith? It is not only the content of the book, but when it is read that is significant. Around the time of my Bar Mitzvah, as I was coming of age Jewishly, I read "Exodus," by Leon Uris.

God only knows. And He's not telling. I have two interesting ecclesiastical developments this week for your consideration. The first is the appearance of a mysterious, Christlike figure in a coal mining area of Pennsylvania. "What's Your Name?" No, not you. Him. That's his name. When people approach him, he politely asks them to call him "What's Your Name?" And, Lord, do they approach him. Groups ranging from a handful to 2,000 people in and around Hazelton and Shenandoah have gathered to hear him speak.